First Congo On The Road

After leaving exactly one hour later than planned, we were making good time when car 1 inexplicably exited I-55 on a road that had no gas stations, no restaurants, no town, in fact no commercial development at all.  Imagined comment in car 2: “Why are we stopping at this cotton picking exit?”  Contact suspected passengers to solve this mystery.

The rest of the trip was blissfully uneventful.  We arrived at our Mount Vernon, IL hotel before 7:00 in spite of our late start and cotton picking delays.  Enjoyed dinner at The Pasta House and looking around speculated that there is a hotel room for every resident of Mount Vernon.

Various quips, quotes, comments, and observations of the week:

Most names have been omitted.  Most of my fellow campers should know who is who.  Just ask one of us.

A group of four driving around Biloxi the two ladies in the back broke into song.  They were all shook up.  Elvis was at the wheel.

If the code is 36” we need 36”.

One camper had a close encounter of the rattiest kind.

Thankfully we had an architect in the group that pointed out that when we put the wall back together, the wall should go all the way up to the ceiling.

Do you understand what I mean when I say ceiling joist?

Today, east means west.  (Next day) East means east again.

Some of us need to be careful with a sharp pencil.

There was some destructive testing of flooring materials.  Thankfully, the scaffold was already in place.

The framing gals are only following the roadmap (even if east is west).  If we get lost due to a faulty roadmap, the framers are not responsible…unless the hot sun is getting to them.  It occurs to the leader that they are in a no lose situation.

K is for king, J is for Jack, where is the Queen?  The leader observes that we have 10 Queens on this trip.

Four inches isn’t really that far apart.

I said put the top in first.

For one camper, the most challenging thing all week was keeping track of the various tasks assigned by the leader and the frequency with which items on the list would change in hierarchy.

Craig to leader that will remain nameless: “The 82 ½” rough opening for the door should be measured from the floor, not the top of the bottom plate.”  Nameless leader: “Oops” or something like that.  More rework follows.

One couple had issues with the air compressor.  One day the wife suffered from hose whip and saw the warning (“hold the hose firmly when disconnecting to prevent hose whip”) too late.  Next day the husband cleverly sprayed himself while bleeding the tank.  They both seem to have learned a lesson.  Hopefully, they will remember this for next year.  Wife thinks the common denominator here is the air compressor, therefore it is at fault.

Craig to work camper 1 “Make two three inch blocks to use as nailers.” Work camper 2 “What?”  Work camper 1 (now measuring) “We need two 3” blocks.”  Craig: “Is there an echo in here?”

Framing gals observed that it would be more helpful to have the scaffold sections placed so that the ladders on the same side on each level.  Otherwise, that next step is a doozy.

Moving the scaffold platforms from one level to the next proved to be nearly as challenging as the circular puzzle in the Mission House.

Speaking of puzzles, some campers stayed up until 11:10 on Friday night to finish the last puzzle.  Everyone worked on one of the puzzles at one time or another during the week.

The weather all week was nothing short of spectacular.  Daytime highs in the 70’s, sunny, and (especially for here) low humidity.  Our timing was good because Mississippi had record rainfall in October.  We simply could not have asked for better weather.

T.B.I.F. *

Friday always comes too soon on these trips.  We have a tendency to focus on what needs to be done rather than on enjoying what was accomplished.  Craig, of course, is always grateful for whatever is accomplished.  “Every nail that is driven today doesn’t need to be driven next week.”  Craig does set goals when he is planning our work week.  He just tries not to set us up for failure.  This week, he hoped we would get the remainder of the north wall down and new framing in place.  We did that and much more.  Minus a few minor details, all of the framing (including interior changes) is complete, plus we rebuilt a railing system on the stairs that was not to code and did most of the electrical rough in.  we were blessed with a wonderful mix of skilled and willing to learn people.  It was easy to split into teams that took ownership of various projects and saw them through to completion.

Equally important was the fun we had getting to know each other and bonding with one another.  Considering the fact that many of us either hadn’t met prior to the initial trip planning or didn’t know each other very well, we seemed to have very few problems.  Everyone packed the thing I always put first on the list, “cooperative, patient, generous attitude.”  I want to publicly thank my fellow work campers for that.

At the urging of Craig and John Caldwell (our long term volunteer from CT) we went to “The Shed” for Friday night dinner.  It was well worth the drive to north east Ocean Springs.  If that place was damaged during Hurricane Katrina, you wouldn’t know it.  While it was difficult to grasp the layout of the buildings, they seemed to be somewhat ramshackle by design or evolution.  They offered great barbeque and a live blues band.  We will revisit The Shed on future mission trips.

It is impossible to summarize in a few words how I feel as we complete this week.  Every time I go on this trip, I find myself wanting to stay and keep working.  There continues to be much to do and ever dwindling numbers of volunteers to do the work.  Thankfully Back Bay Mission’s calendar is nearly full for 2010.  To ensure we get the time we want, I made the reservation for 2011 already.  Both Craig and John encouraged me to bring workers to their Blitz week in Feb/March, 2010.  I will if I can, but it is a long shot for 2010.  Meanwhile, I’ll do what I can by promoting the annual trips, continuing to carry the message that the work in the gulf coast is not done, and seeking other opportunities to help.

Some minor things we did not get to do include touring Hwy. 90 to view the carving done on damaged live oak trees and visiting the Katrina Memorial in Biloxi Green.  We got to see some of the carvings but we had wanted to see more.  Oh well, as they say in the entertainment business, leave them wanting more.  This will be incentive to come back next year.

*Too Bad It’s Friday.  I hope everyone from this year returns next year and brings friends and family.

Benji Benzschawel

Where ever one goes on a trip, you usually hear ‘Look at that’ – with ‘that’ being many things.  On this trip to Biloxi, MS, we were told by Back Bay Mission staff to look for what is NOT there.   What we noticed that ‘wasn’t here’ were:  children playing in neighborhoods, other volunteer groups, construction crews, homes, rebuilding on Hwy 90.  Biloxi and the people of Biloxi are forever changed. 

In hearing people’s stories of what happened to them during and after Katrina, tears still well up in their eyes.  Our hearts are touched by their gratitude, their resilience, their courage. 

On the work side, Cheryl & Ron have been working with John on wiring the house, Stephanie’s favorite tool seems to be the nail gun, Julia has been guiding the framing crew and I have seen her climb up the scaffolding like it was the stairs!  Len, Ruth and Holly have been working on the outside stair rail – it need complete re-work to meet code.  The Park brothers have been framing inside walls and new window frames – replacing lots of rotted wood!  Paula is on the go in many places – especially cutting boards for folks on the table saw.  Pam, Deb & Benji were tearing siding off the outside walls.  Of course, Benji is in demand by all of us – whenever we need another opinion, thinking through how to do something, direction – and of course if things aren’t square or a wall is off, we can then blame someone else!  Isn’t that what a leader is for?  Jim B. was supervising and also seen doing some work despite the injured fingers.  Joyce has been carrying debris to the dumpster and been the official sweeper/cleaner – sweeping up lots of sawdust, rusty nails and wood scraps.  (The house we are working on is set on pilings 9 feet high, so all the outside work needs to be done on scaffolding or high ladders.)

Right now 6 people are studying where the pieces to a jig saw puzzle fit best!  Others are watching the news while some are finishing showers.  Soon we will leave for dinner somewhere – always a great time of laughter, more stories and relaxing.

We took Monday afternoon off so that we could bring our newest arrival back from New Orleans.  There was a very festive atmosphere in New Orleans due to the Saints hosting Monday Night Football.

Now that our crew is complete, the cast of characters are: Alan Benzschawel, Pam Benzschawel, Jim Brygger, Deb Burich, Joyce Hanstedt, Len Hanstedt, Jim Park, Ruth Park, Cheryl Reissmann, Ron Reissmann, Julia Rhodes, and Stephanie Strzalka all of First Congo; Paula DeSmidt from Kiel, Holly Green from Florida, John Park from Washington, Ken Park from Florida.  Paula is Kathy Lannoye’s cousin.  We are disappointed that Kathy was unable to join us but are thrilled that Paula came anyway.  Holly is Ruth’s sister and John and Ken are Jim’s brothers.  It is great that people enjoy this trip so much that they get others excited about it.  This is the largest group to Back Bay Mission since we have been sending groups starting in 1991.

With our goof off day behind us we are ready to focus on making progress on our project.  The home is barely salvageable and if not for willing and able volunteers would likely not be salvaged.  First task was to identify volunteers for Loaves and Fishes.  This is the local food pantry and meals program that had been founded by Back Bay Mission but is now independent.

A walk through with Craig identified additional changes that needed to be made and we are off.  The Park brothers and Jim Brygger went to work on restoring the floor along the wall that is now open air.  Not a moment too soon and in fact a little late as Jim stepped through the floor at one point and caught himself on the scaffold injuring his finger in the process.  It could have been much worse and we are grateful it wasn’t.

A major distinction between rehab work and new construction is that there is much more “engineering” involved in rehab.  The interesting thing about our crew is several of us are capable do it yourselfers but none of us are professional carpenters.  This results in much debate about the best way to approach problems.  Meanwhile, we have a crew to keep busy and they are rapidly finishing tasks that are separate from the wall project.  Fortunately, the group we have has been very patient, flexible, and cooperative even when I change what I want them to do three or four times in rapid succession.

By mid afternoon, we have agreed on an approach to solving the issues related to the new wall.  That means framing can commence!  The first segment is built and ready to be set in place first thing on Wednesday.

After showers and a brief stop at Biloxi Regional Medical Center we are ready to head out to Lookout 49 for dinner.  Lookout 49 has become a standard stop each trip.  The owner’s previous restaurant, Lookout Long Beach, was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  We discovered Lookout 49 during our 2006 trip partly because not many restaurants were open at that time.  I haven’t heard anyone say they had a bad meal there and they are happy to accommodate our large group.

Today’s blog is a compilation of stories from various members or our work group with liberal editorial license taken by the Blogger-in-Chief.

After Hurricane Katrina, FEMA had agreed to provide trailers to the people of Biloxi.  After  4 years, FEMA and the city of Biloxi determined it was time to remove the remaining trailers without regard for whether the residents had another place to live.  Unbelievably, they began removing the trailers without notice taking personal property with it.  The story that we heard this morning was one of great courage and support. 

Recently, as a group of high school girls and their fathers were volunteering for the Back Bay Mission, they saw a FEMA vehicle driving up to a trailer that belonged to a single woman.  Without hesitation, one of the fathers parked his car between the trailer and the FEMA vehicle.  He was able to cause enough commotion to give the girls time to go into the trailer and remove all of the woman’s personal belongings.  They were able to remove everything before the trailer was taken off of the property.  The unsuspecting woman arrived home to find the trailer gone but all of her personal property saved.   An estimated 18,000 gulf coast residents remain without permanent housing.  THE WORK IS NOT DONE IN THE GULF!  PLEASE HELP!

Back Bay completed 26 projects in 2007 including 3 new construction and increased this to 50 in 2008.  10 of the 2008 projects were new construction.  This is accomplished with a volunteer work force.  Of the volunteers, typically 1% will be professionals in the building trades, 10% are accomplished do it yourselfers, etc and the remainder are unskilled often never having held a hammer until Back Bay.  This is a testament to the talent of the Back Bay Housing Recovery staff.

In Biloxi, most of the other volunteer organizations have left for lack of volunteers.  Some still have a presence and are able to identify projects and secure funding, but then rely on Back Bay Mission for the actual construction.

As for our work this week, we have a great project.  We are completing the demo and framing a house that was moved from another site.  This house had significant damage and decay some of which resulted from the still leaky roof.  Pictures will be posted soon.

Thank you for your support and prayers as we continue our mission trip.

Day 2:  We awakened to the promise of a warm sunny day for our last leg of the journey.  The drive was blissfully uneventful.  We stopped for lunch in Hattiesburg (Brett wasn’t home) and debated Wendy’s or the Plaid Rhino.  Some of us thought this might be our only chance to eat at the Plaid Rhino but others were hungry for a Frosty.  They are right next door so we split up.  I was in the Plaid Rhino camp.  Good $7.00 burgers but the fried green tomatoes were sliced a little thin.

Arrived at the Mission House in plenty of time to unload stretch and take a walk on the beach before Packer time.  We got a slow start to the walk so we walked through the entire first half.  Good choice!  Passing fellow campers with heads down and news that Brett had our beloved Pack down 17-3 at half.  Oh well, sun is shining. Temperature is in the 70’s.  The beach is pretty well cleaned up of Hurricane debris.  No complaints.

Met (briefly) with Craig of Back Bay Mission.  He cheered on the Vikings as he is a fan of the local boy.  It looks like he will have us demo an exterior wall and reframe it as well as framing the interior.  If we get far enough we might run rough electrical.

A trip to the grocery store and a pizza shop and we are all ready for the week.

Stay tuned.

Benji

First day of travel is supposed to be uneventful, so I hadn’t intended to blog about it…

Driver 2 takes over in Janesville.  Somewhere around Rockford:

Driver: “I think I was supposed to turn there.”

Navigator (startled from nap): “Huh?”

Phone rings: Car number 2: “We made the turn.” “OK, keep going, we’ll call you when we get back on I39.”

Navigator (getting bearings, studying map): “Exit here, we should be able to get back on”

There are many cars doing same thing.  Darn construction!

OK additional $1.60 toll later (darn Illinois Tollway) we are headed back.

Navigator: “Oops, I think that was our exit to go south on I39.” Studying map some more.  “Exit here, we can take a city street south and get back on 39.”

More construction, more turning around, now back on I39 south.

Navigator (Call to Car 2): “We are at mile marker 121.”

Car 2 Navigator: “OK, We are about 30 miles ahead of you.  We’ll drive a little slower and watch for you.”

Navigator (roused from nap #2): “Why are there stop lights in the interstate?”

Back seat passenger: “Because we are west bound on Illinois 20!”

Driver: “Woops (or something like that).”

More turning around.  Again not alone in this.

Later…Call from Car 2: “We are stopping in Bloomington.  Where are you?”

Navigator, Car 1: “About 35 miles north of you.  Do you want to wait?” “Yes” “Thank you”

Reunited at last!

The rest of the trip is uneventful and we make good enough time to have dinner at BB King’s Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis.  The early house band is amazing.  I said the lead guitarist looked like he was 14, but man could he play!  The Will Tucker Band.   Turns out Will Tucker is 15!  Played some Elvis, Johnny B. Good (wow he’s fast too!), Might Be Your Man.  CD release party November 7^th.  Hmmm, we will be passing though here then.  www.willtuckermusic.com

We arrive at the hotel at 10:30 thankful for the extra hour we get with the return to standard time.

Pam and I had the honor of participating in the re-dedication of Back Bay Mission’s campus.  The campus is now completely rebuilt following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  I wish we could report the same as true for all of the Gulf Coast.  There remains much to be done and with the completion of their rebuilding, Back Bay can now focus on doing their part to help with the rest of the restoration.

One startling fact we learned while there is that FEMA arbitrarily removed all of the remaining temporary housing.  This is a change that was obvious as we drove around Biloxi.  Unfortunately this only adds to the burden of those still not back home following the storm.  In one case, Back Bay volunteers formed a “bucket brigade” to remove a residents belongings just before they removed her trailer.  Had they not been there, she would have lost what little she had left.

Regarding the campus, one of the new buildings is the Micah Center.  This building is designed as a multi-use facility that could someday house a congregation should one choose to reorganize.  There has not been a UCC church in Mississippi since the early 70’s when the remaining church paid the price for standing up for equal rights.